Ma rebuts charges of mayoral election profiteering

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Hsu Chia-ching points to a table showing a dramatic increase in Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's private assets during a press conference at the DPP's headquarters yesterday. Hsu alleged that Ma has made a fortune from government subsidies in connection to his victories in the Taipei mayoral elections of 1998 and 2002. PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that he had donated some NT$47 million (US$1.4 million) in government subsidies from two Taipei mayoral elections to charity, and welcomed city councilors who have alleged that his assets have risen dramatically to provide evidence that he is an election profiteer.

Ma made the comments while answering a question from reporters after Taipei City councilors Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) and Yen Sheng-kuan (顏聖冠) of the Democratic Progressive Party alleged earlier yesterday at a news conference that Ma has made a small fortune from government subsidies given for each vote he gained during the last two Taipei mayoral elections, in 1998 and 2002.

The councilors pointed out that the bank balances of Ma and his wife combined had increased by more than NT$40 million during the period 1993-2004 and claimed that the couple's assets increased most noticeably in the wake of the two elections.

According to Ma, he donated about 90 percent -- some NT$47 million -- in gains from the government's financial assistance for his participation in the two elections to two charity groups that were set up during the 1998 Taipei mayoral race.

Allegations made against the Taipei mayor * Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilors Hsu Chia-ching and Yen Sheng-kuan allege that the bank balances of Ma and his wife increased by more than NT$40 million between 1993 and 2004 * Ma Ying-jeou said in response that about 90 percent of the electoral financial assistance money from the government -- some NT$47 million -- was donated to two charitable groups Source: CNA

Combined with more than NT$3 million in salary he earned while serving as a National Assembly member and other small-sum donations, he has already contributed as much as NT$53 million to charity, Ma said.

He stressed that he welcomed anyone to produce solid evidence of him funneling government election subsidies into his own pockets.

Ma, who also serves as Chinese Nationalist Party chairman, enjoys strong public support because of his clean image.